In days long gone, when Mareldja was still a small hamlet without walls and
without many citizens, the people worked hand in hand with the dwarves of the 
mountains.  But one year a great evil befell the region--crops rotted in the 
fields, and many starved.  The people of Mareldja and the dwarves soon began 
to bicker about the remaining crops.

   The bickering quickly escalated to all-out war.  High walls were built
around Mareldja, and the dwarves retreated to the depths of the mountains.
The favor of the gods fell on the people of Mareldja, and the tide of war
swiftly washed over the dwarven army.  With most of their people dead, the
dwarves took one last desparate act, cursing the fertile fields and hills for
all eternity.

   Although many have since tried to vanquish the dwarves and lift their 
awful curse, none have to this day succeeded.  The hills remain blackened and
barren, and the people of Mareldja are forced to import foodstuffs from 
Oldgate and beyond.

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NOTES:
   Recommended Levels: 1-5
   Group Size: 1-3

such as "spell" or "MUD Basics"